I Can't Believe It
by Tigress Burning
Summary: 6th chapter finally! With...the Headmistress of Foltenburg!
1. Moving

A/N Okay so I know this won't ever happen but a girl can dream can't she?  For any who wish to read my other fiction, my website is posted on my profile, as well as my e-mail if you wish to get in touch. 

Disclaimer I (of course) don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters within this fic. This is simply my interpretation of these characters and what I wish them to do.  Enjoy the story, and review if you like.  Constructive criticism is invited and, as always, Flames will be ignored.  

A/N2 This story will be a multi-chapter SS-HG romance.  However, I don't know quite how long it will take before I get to the romance part.  At the beginning of the story, Hermione and Severus are friends. They also work together.  The story will explain itself as it unfolds.

I Can't Believe It 

By 

Tigress Burning

June 16th, 2012

Professor Severus Snape sat glaring at Hermione Granger, one of his disgustingly happy students from Gryffindor. /Ex-student/ he thought to himself. Now seeing her face beside him, Severus wondered how he could classify their relationship to properly convey the annoyance he was feeling towards her. Ex-student? Former apprentice? His colleague perhaps? Or even friends? Because really, she was making this entire experience unbearable.

'And why, Hermione, do you feel the need to annoy me as much as possible; as only one in your position could?' he drawled finally, perversely enjoying the way her head snapped up at him in shock.

Hermione looked down to where she was digging her fingers into his arm and recoiled, as though slapped. Hastily pulling the offending limb to herself, she looked at him in anger.

'Severus really, why wouldn't you have informed me of what I was doing earlier?' she snapped, her eyes flashing in the embarrassment that hurting a friend had caused.

'I hadn't noticed. I was merely trying to find a single fortuitous item about this entire escapade that Albus has cooked up. It is an utterly ridiculous notion. The entire situation is unacceptable.' Looking to Hermione as he finished his small tirade, Severus saw, in shock, that she was nodding her head to his every word.

'I can't help but agree Severus. The entire debacle is simply a chance for Albus to mess with our lives. I love him, he's like a surrogate father, but sometimes I think he's gone completely mad with these half-cocked ideas!' she said.

Snape frowned at the thought.  

'He's not mad, just a bit batty, I suppose. And he did say that we could Apparate back for a quick jif if we needed to.' he sighed at the sudden realization that the reason Albus had sent them was simply because he knew both of them would do anything for him.  

'I wonder if he knows we know he sent us?' Hermione mused to herself. At the very least she hoped Albus had at least that much confidence in his Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions teachers.  The entire plan stank of having come from Dumbledore's office, only an idiot would assume otherwise. You had only to know the man for three days and he would already be attempting to mess around with your life. 

Severus looked down at his arm, massaging it gently at the spot Hermione had been grasping so intently. His gaze swept towards his hand and he drew a quick breath even though he knew what he would be seeing. His wedding band shone in the light with a soft platinum glow.  He had observed Hermione's set doing the same.  He continued his perusal, looking down at his arm, encased in the Muggle shirt Hermione had purchased for him.  He had desperately wanted to wear his own soft linen shirts at least but she had quickly outlawed them until they got to their new home, explaining gently that Muggles wouldn't understand their clothes.  So he had been handed a pair of black dress slacks, and a sweater that was a soft cotton/poly blend.  

/Completely unacceptable/ he thought again, and gently rolled the sweater's sleeve up his arm to reveal what he knew would be hidden there. As he'd expected there were five small half-moon indentions from Hermione's nails clearly visible against his pale skin around the fading remembrance of what once had been a Dark Mark. Glancing to her, he saw how she resolutely kept her face turned from his. Smoothing down the sleeve, he turned her face towards his while picking up one of her hands.  

'Hermione, I'm fine, really I am. You didn't even break the skin.' he said softly, enjoying the way her chin lifted slightly at his soft tone. 'What I am more concerned with is this distinct aversion to flying you seem to suddenly possess.  I don't recall it being in evidence when you were at Hogwarts.'

'The reason it wasn't in evidence, is because it doesn't _exist_.' she replied grinning.

'Well, then why?' he said, gesturing to his forearm impatiently.  Her odd sense of humour didn't amuse him _all_ of the time, after all.

'I have no aversion to riding and flying my own broomstick.  However,' and here she sat up straight whilst turning towards his upper body more intimately, 'I do have a certain aversion to being flown about in a giant metal tube by an incompetent Muggle pilot.  I would have much preferred riding a broomstick, or just Apparating to our new school.  I simply don't see _why_ we had to fly.'

Severus nodded in understanding.  He too, had not appreciated their mode of travel when Hermione had described it for him on their way to the terminal in London.  Because at that moment, at the behest of Albus Dumbledore, Hermione Granger, Mistress of Potions and the House of Gryffindor, and Severus Snape, Master of Defense Against the Dark Arts and the House of Slytherin; possibly the two youngest people to have ever taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, were sitting side by side, married, on a British Airways airplane bound for North America; Indiana if you wanted to get specific.  Although I doubt either one of them did.


	2. And Still Moving

A/NOkay you know what, I absofreakinlutely love all two of you that have reviewed!!  I completely forgot how much fun it is to turn on your computer and have reviews about your own thoughts, feelings, and visions on the screen for all to read. It makes one a bit drunk on power!! MUWAHAHAHAHA!!! Okay (cough) now that I've gotten my quota of evil laughs out of my system(seven a day is the recommended dosage of course), I think I may just be able to peruse my conscience for another chapter just for you guys! So to my reviewers: Dragonfly & GeekGirl; this one will be dedicated to you.

I Can't Believe It

Chapter 2

By

Tigress Burning

June 16th, 2012

The plane touched down at JFK International Airport just outside of New York City, New York just shy of five o'clock that afternoon and already Severus was exhausted. He wished that Muggles would invent some sort of instantaneous travel so he and his wife /Merlin, she's my wife/, would not have been so uncomfortable.

Ever the dutiful husband to all present, Severus had put up with Hermione practically sleeping in his lap for the past four hours. /And if the take-off and first hour of this atrocity was any measure, I'm doubly glad she was asleep for the landing/ he thought to himself. He had practically had to fight the stewardess to keep her from waking Hermione up from deep sleep, a fight which he would have undertaken without any qualms if only he wasn't being used as a pillow. 

As it was, he felt naked and helpless without his wand, buried ten feet below him in the cargo hold; carefully protected along with Hermione's in a battered instrument case. Normally he would have kept it on him at all times, but once again, Hermione had explained Muggle ways to him, pointing out that a forty-five year old man, traveling in the company of a twenty-five year old woman, both of them brandishing sticks, would seem rather odd. She had made it seem a game to the man at Security however, letting him hold first hers', then Severus' wands, proving to him that they were harmless. Laughing, she had explained that they were both really into computers and were on their way to a convention in Indianapolis (Severus still had trouble with _that_ particularly odd word) for their favorite game, the Legend of Zelda (as apparently, it was the only game she could think up on short notice which had witches and wizards in it). She had even showed him their robes, explaining shyly how she had sewed them herself for the con.

Half of what she had said flew right over the formidable DADA teacher's head, and he allowed his wife to speak for him, simply looking threatening when a flock of teenagers had leered at her; and placing his left hand on her shoulder, his wedding band glinting in the morning sun when a middle-aged business man walked by and did a double-take at the sight of the woman he now held securely in his arms.  

She had dressed for comfort wearing a pair of pinstriped tailored pants and a fitted black sweater.  It was enough to keep her comfortable, and yet would still be practical underneath her robes when they arrived at their destination. Since her years at Hogwarts, she had truly grown into a beautiful young woman, filling out into her curves as he had known she would; /although I would have never admitted to it then/ he thought, and letting her hair grow into a thick shimmering mass which lay in thick waves across her slim shoulders to her lower back. But what intrigued Severus wasn't what lay on top, although her beauty it was true, did touch a place inside him he would not have easily been able to acknowledge.  It was her thirst for knowledge which truly made him crave her company. She was easily as well read as he, and the two liked nothing better than sitting in the teacher's lounge at Hogwarts and discussing the new book Hermione had gotten him to read two weeks ago, or debating about whether the potion that they had created last week should be researched further or scrapped altogether.

In short, they were best friends, with a much deeper connection than she had ever made with Ron or Harry.  Severus had asked one night why she liked to spend so much time with him, and had been pleasantly surprised when she explained rather shyly that she just couldn't talk to Harry or Ron about the things she could with him.

_'You just understand what I'm talking about Severus. Can you really hear me explaining to them about the intricacies it took us to brew the Dragons bane potion, or even better the way I can distill anything I want into an essence for use in experiments? The way I thought that the thirteenth chapter of Raert Mandracas's Book of Superstitions was an idiotic idea as every respectable witch or wizard knows that thirteen is unlucky? They would simply look at me and say 'But Hermione, thirteen comes after twelve, he couldn't have just skipped it.' You understand these things without me having to explain them. They are my best friends, my best childhood friends, and I'll never forget what we had, I'll cherish it always…but things change. People change; and we just aren't as close anymore.'_

He knew she didn't like the fact that while Harry and Ron had gone on in their third year after graduating from Hogwarts to extremely lucrative Auror careers (they had both just been promoted to Unspeakables) after destroying Voldemort once and for all, that Hermione felt she hadn't changed at all, hadn't grown in any way since she had almost laid down her life for the cause. They were still close, but they had gone their separate ways, and had been forced to forge lives without each other as a constant support.

Severus carefully stood up as the plane began to empty out into a world populated by Muggles.  Unsure of what, exactly, he should do, he simply exited the plane with Hermione in his arms, and her bag slung over his shoulder and laid her down in a terminal chair, an old couple commenting on the fact that apparently, chivalry wasn't dead. Severus smiled and gently shook Hermione awake.

'Sev..have we landed already?' she asked as she slowly sat up.  

'We have, about five minutes ago actually.' he said.  'Oh.'  This seemed to stump her for a moment until she brightened as she shook off the stupor of sleep.

'We have to go and collect our luggage, and find our next plane then.' Severus immediately groaned. "Surely the old man has tortured us enough Hermione. Why not just Apparate the rest of the way?'

'Because we don't know where the school is.' she replied with just enough cheek for him to not get angry. 'Our guide is supposed to meet us at the next terminal and tell us where to Apparate to.  Seems the Americans are just as obsessive with security as we are.'

Severus groaned once more, before lifting his hand and waving Hermione on, as he was simply following her through her part-time world until she could guide him back to his element.

'Lead on then wife.  We have planes to catch, and students to teach.' He grinned as he looked at her. 'And hopefully we can keep up this marriage ruse until we have what we need to rid us of Voldemort forever.'


	3. Finally, the End of Flying Or Is It?

A/N Okay guys so sorry it's taken me even this long to deliver the next installment to you.  But as you know OotP just came out Friday and as of ohh, about 15 minutes ago, I finished it.  Wouldn't have taken me two days but I had to go to work.  And let me tell you, I absolutely loved it.  For those of you who haven't read it yet, go and read it and tell me what you think.  It's fantastic.  JKR just gets more and more into her characters with each book.  It's bloody amazing.  All right then, read on proud reviewers and all other SS/HG peoples!!  

I Can't Believe It

Chapter 3

By 

Tigress Burning

June 17th, 2012

Hermione groaned as the third and hopefully last plane began to descend into Indiana at…she glanced at her watch once and then again in disbelief….at bloody four o'clock in the morning.  

*~**Flashback**~*

They had landed on time in New York City, but when going to board their second plane at five thirty they had been informed in no uncertain terms that the bollocking thing was late.  So they had been stuck in the most amazing city in the world /after London, of course/ thought Hermione, and she had begged Severus to take her to the Americans' version of Diagon Alley for the East Coast (the D.A.E.C.).  He had finally consented, gracing her with one of his so rare smiles that had recently become so precious to her. 

Later she would explain that her reason had been sound, Crookshanks had after all, recently turned gods only knew how old, as he could have been anywhere from two to ten when Hermione had found him that fateful day just before her third year at Hogwarts.  Figuring it quickly in her head, Hermione deduced her old familiar would have now been in the range of fourteen to twenty-two.  

*~**Flashback in Flashback**~*

He had retired this summer to her parent's house, her mum had been delighted and when asked, Hermione said it was alright that Crooks hadn't come home with her; he had been finding the many staircases of Hogwarts a bit difficult to negotiate these days.  But when it came down to it, and Hermione had gotten home from taking him to her parent's house, she had immediately broken down into sobs the instant she saw Crookshank's food and water dishes lying on his mat in front of the fireplace.  His bed had gone with him, but she could still see it in the corner and she could feel the thread that bound them together as witch and familiar.  

The very next week, her mother's head had appeared in the fireplace looking alarmed, and Hermione just knew that something had to have been terribly wrong for her mum to use the Floo network.  Apparently Crooks was not doing too well, her mum had said, and Hermione immediately felt for her link to him.  

It wasn't there.

'He's gone, isn't he?' she had asked.

'Oh 'Mione, I'm so sorry, but he just refused to eat, I didn't know what to do, and then this morning he just walked out into the yard and wouldn't come back inside when I called him, he was just lying there in the sun, so I thought what's the harm at letting him lie.'  Mrs. Granger was wringing her hands.  'And then I went out to get him for supper and he was cold.  I didn't know what to do, I took him to the animal hospital down the lane but they said there was nothing they could do.  Honey, I am so sorry, I know you loved Crookshanks dearly.'

Hermione had set down rather heavily upon her tapestried ottoman and replied wearily, 'He was more than that Mum, he was my familiar.  He was my magical reservoir to nature, my partner.'  

Hermione lapsed into silent grief once more, until her mother withdrew her head from the fireplace, disconnecting the call.  

She sat there all day Saturday and Sunday, ignoring Dobby's requests that she eat something on the tray he had brought for her, and would have ignored Monday too, if it hadn't been for Albus, Minerva, and Severus all coming to her door at half past six in the morning and trying to withdraw her from her shell.  Dumbledore had offered sweets upon sweets with Fawkes cheeping softly on his shoulder, whilst Minerva told her of the familiars she had lost, mourned, and replaced, and Severus just sat beside her, attempting to draw the pain from her body into his own with a carefully placed arm about her shoulders.  

In the end it had been one of Hermione's students who had finally broken the depression that consumed her favorite teacher.  Griselda Flempswort had carefully knocked on the door to Hermione's quarters and just as carefully opened and closed the door before making her way to a spot on the rug before Hermione.  A rather small Hufflepuff second year, the twelve year old had held something out to Hermione, while speaking nervously.

'I know she won't be able to become your familiar, Professor, she doesn't exactly have the temperament that me dad breeds in his familiars-to-be, but she is clever, the smartest one in the litter me Mum says.  She keeps me updated on them, you see, so when I heard, I owled her immediately and she Apparated here to bring her.  Her name is Amaris.'

Hermione looked up into the deep green eyes of the tiny six week old kitten.

'Child of the Moon?' she had asked Griselda.  'That's a rather ostentatious name for a kitten to grow up into bearing isn't it?'

'Well, she's got the proudest breeding lines of our farm running through her, doesn't she?   And she was the only kitten born under the moon, we found the mother quick and only Amaris had a natural birth, so it fit.'

'Well then, Amaris she'll stay.' said Hermione, while accepting the blue kitten into her arms.  Gathering her student in one hand, and new pet in the other, Hermione led the way to the doorway, 'Now about the homework I assigned, I assume all of you have completed it?'  

*~**End Flashback in Flashback**~*

As much as Hermione loved Amaris, she still needed a new familiar, and so this is what she had brought her husband, _/temporary husband, damn it!/, into D.A.E.C. to look for.  Having already exhausted all places wizard in England to find a new familiar, Hermione had decided to move on to America, which she felt sure would hold a new familiar for her.  And what better way to discover him or her than while on a previous mission?  This way she would only have to make one trip.  _

So while they were in D.A.E.C., they had decided to load up on supplies, shrinking their purchases small enough to fit inside their carry-on bags.  Between them, Hermione and Severus had brought one suitcase and one carry-on apiece, then used a Shrinking Charm to make the rest of their belongings tiny, and placed those into the pockets of their suitcases.

They loaded up on supplies, Hermione on ink, sealing wax, and parchment, as well as three new quills; Severus much the same, although he passed on the quills as he had bought a Muggle calligraphy pen from one of the airport stores.  Both refilled their potion stores, including several materials that were banned from purchase in Britain. Together, they found several books neither had read, all by American authors, and had bought most of those.  To add to the pile, Severus had been forced to leave his family's owl in Britain and needed one for himself and Hermione's new family.  He found one quickly, a handsome red Great Horned, which they named Rudyard.  

It was as they were turning to leave the owl shop it happened.  Just as before, she felt a prickling along her spine, ending at the back of her neck, and Hermione half-turned while still keeping one hand firmly locked in Severus'.  Yellow eyes met brown as they stared the other down, and Hermione had never been so excited in her life.  This time she knew what was happening, she knew what this meant!  

_/Well, it's about time!/_ came a sarcastic, distinctly Brooklyn accented voice into her head.  _/Someone who finally can understand and get me out of this place!/  _

Hermione jumped as she looked across the store.  A massive buff tabby cat was walking out from beneath the hanging cages of owls.  Easily standing thirty-five centimeters tall (14in), and measuring nearly 60 centimeters (2ft) from tip to tail, the cat must have weighed over eleven kilos (25 lbs).  _/I don't think so lady, I weigh at least thirty pounds, not no measly eleven, though I don't know what the hell kilos are or for that matter, why I weigh more than 'em./ came the cat's voice again, and Hermione had the good sense to look at him this time.  _

_/Look, the way I see it, you can hear and understand me, I can hear and understand you.  You help me get out of my predicament, gimme a nice rub on the head, and I'll owe you one.  Oh and by the way, the name's Roldan./ _ 

'Well Roldan, it obvious to me that you don't know what's supposed to happen now.  You're my familiar, you're mine now.' Hermione said to him, ignoring Severus' confused expression.

'Hermione, what in the world is going on?  Who are you talking to?' he asked, perplexed.

Hermione gestured helplessly at Roldan, who was currently sitting in front of them.

'My..famil..he's my..we've bonded.' She finished slightly out of breath as the excitement came to her in an immense wave upon her mind. _/I finally, finally have a new familiar!/  _

_/And what in the hell is a familiar and why are you calling me that?/_ came the thought from Roldan.

_/You are my familiar.  As a witch I need an animal to channel my magic through.  Most witches and wizards find their familiars early into their twenties.  You'll be my second./ _

_/I don't think so lady.  You get me outta here, I'll be your long distance familiar, how 'bout that.  I've got places to go, and girls to meet after all.  I'm already two, I only have a couple good years left in me./_

And then Roldan caught sight of Amaris seated delicately by Hermione's feet and abruptly changed his mind.

_/Maybe I'll stay with you.  Is she with you?/_ he had asked.  After confirming that Amaris did indeed belong to Hermione, Roldan agreed that he would do best if he came with them.

Despite severe protestations from Severus, Rudyard, and Amaris; Hermione purchased Roldan, placed him in a second carrier and marched her husband and all three of their pets back to airport to board their second plane.  

Once they got there at eight thirty, the already bad day, slightly alleviated from the discovery and bonding between Roldan and Hermione, got much worse.  Again.

The airport threw a fit that they had picked up two more animals during the layover, and Hermione knew she should have just cast a Silencing Charm over both cages and shrunk Rudyard and Roldan to fit in her carryon.  At least Severus' own familiar, a raven called Aland, had decided to fly over himself.  Knowing Aland, Severus felt he had probably concealed himself inside a plane coming to America and was probably already resting in their new quarters at the school in Indiana.

Hermione bickered with the man at the ticket counter as Severus stood behind her once more, silently daring anyone to look at her, not because of her beauty this time, but because she came across as the daft woman who had two cats and an owl sitting in the middle of an airport while she argued, rather loudly, with the ticketmaster.  Finally, having paid an exorbitant amount in Muggle money, they left the counter feeling triumphant.  That is until Severus had happened to glance at the ticket Hermione had thrust at him.

'Hermione, love?  This doesn't have Indiana in the destination box.  What's Chicago?'  Only he pronounced to ci-ca-goo, instead of shi-ca-go, and Hermione had to look at her own ticket to understand.

'Oh, Fucking Hell!'  At her exclamation, several people turned to look at them, and Severus felt alarmed as he looked into his bride's face.  Was that vein in her forehead…actually ticking in time with her heart?  As he pondered this phenomenon, he failed to notice that she was turning around to go back to the ticketmaster, no doubt to fully render him incapable of ever performing his job properly.

'Hermione, no, wait, just leave the git alone!' he exclaimed in protest as he ran after her, finally reaching her seventy-five feet from where the man was standing at his counter.  Her right hand was repeatedly opening and closing over the wand that was not there, and Severus realized she was thinking of all the hexes, jinxes, and curses her near photographic memory could come up with.

'Hermione, he's not worth it, love, just let it go.  We'll go to Chicago, and if I have to transfigure something for us to fly on, we'll make it to this Evansville place where the school is located,' he whispered to her while holding her close to his body, hoping the close proximity of their embrace would turn her thoughts to other things than homicide.

'He bloody tricked me Severus.  He charged us twice the price and then put in another layover and plane ride.  We have to fly for two hours to Chicago, wait for three hours and fly again to Evansville.'  Hermione was practically crying as she revealed exactly what had happened, and Severus was outraged.  

The pair had been informed of their mission a week before, been married five days later, as Albus had explained they had to have a viable marriage in case anyone in America actually checked their cover out.  Then this morning they had to wake up at bloody two o'clock, had taken the Hogwarts Express to London and arrived at the airport only to discover the customs line was a mile long, finally made it through that, only to have to sprint to make their plane, Amaris's carrier swinging against her owner's legs with every step.  After an eight hour plane ride, they had been told their second plane was to be five hours late, and they had had a long layover, culminating at the point were Hermione had underwent the exhaustive ritual of bonding with her new familiar (a process which gave immense energy at first, then depleted the strength of the pair to almost nothing).  Now they were back at the bollocking airport, Hermione was sagging into exhaustion, Severus didn't feel much better to tell the truth, and that stupid git had taken advantage of his young wife.  

Severus was murderous.  

He began to walk towards the counter himself, with the man looking more and more frightened, until a small hand closed over his and he looked down at Hermione.  

'Leave him Severus.  You're right, he isn't worth it.  Let's just go and board the plane.'

Severus had given into her, but not until he sent a mild curse that he did not require his wand for back towards the man.  With all luck, he would wake up with a severe case of acne in an extremely delicate place.  He had smiled at the thought and waved goodbye to the unsuspecting Muggle.

*~**End Longest Freaking Flashback I've Ever Done**~*

So now it was four thirty in the morning and they were unloading their luggage as well as two cat carriers and an owl cage into the muggy Indiana morning.  A teenage American Indian girl with straight black hair to her waist came up to them and smiling rather widely, spoke.

'Great, this is so fantastic.  So you guys are Severus and Hermione Snape right?'  All this was said in one breath as the young witch tripped over both their names.

The two exchanged a glance before turning back to the woman in front of them.

'So you'll be our contact then?' asked Severus in his silkiest voice.  Hermione giggled as she recognized the Voice that Severus used during all his first year Potions and now DADA's classes.  No one could withstand the Voice for long.  You were either running in terror, or quivering in desire by the time he stopped using it somewhere between the fifth and sixth years and even then, the girls (and some boys) still wished he would use it.

But this American witch seemed unfazed.  'Right!  That's me.  I'm the contact.  My name is Angeni Running Water.  I'm a ninth year at Foltonburg, and I'm here to escort you guys back to the school.  Now is there any way that we can condense these suitcases into one?  She moved out of sight behind the wall were they had placed their luggage and pulling out her wand, began to shrink the suitcases and carry-on bags all to fit in a small cloth sack.  Severus released Rudyard, and Hermione knelt to release Amaris and Roldan from their carriers.  They then shrunk the cages and placed them in the sack as well.  Hermione shrunk the two cats to about the size of rats, despite the rather vocal protestations of Roldan, _/What's up with this?  Now I'm not even as big as I was when I was a kitten!  Hey familiar lady!  Turn me back into my proper tom size!/_, and placed them into her deep robe pockets.

Angeni turned back towards them, and smiling her too wide smile again, handed Hermione the bag, which she now realized was actually made of supple leather.  'Awesome!!  Okay so all we have to do now is transport to the school.' she said, leading the way over to several things lying on the ground.  As Hermione and Severus got closer they recognized them as brooms.

'OH BLOODY HELL!!'

A/N2 To see my own feline familiar, Peppermint, go to my website and look underneath My Pets.  Also, Griselda, Amaris, Rudyard, Roldan, Aland, and Angeni are my own creations, don't steal them please.  

When I speak of Amaris being blue and Roldan being a tabby, blue means a type of colour on cats, while tabby is describing the pattern.  Blue is a smoky gray with very light tips and it takes a lot of work to keep a cat's coat to remain blue the older it gets.  Natasha, my ten year old domestic short-hair, who isn't on my website, is blue, although her coat color is easy to maintain.  I lucked out on that aspect of her. 

A tabby on the other hand is what Peppermint (my familiar) looks like, striped, although the striping can be any color.  Roldan is buff, which almost like a golden butterscotch colour with his tabby stripes being a slightly darker shade.  

Rudyard is a Great Horned Owl (_Bubo virginianus__) _which is the largest owl in North America.  They are sometimes known as Cat or Hoot Owls.  I chose a Great Horned for Rudyard, as they are one of the most intelligent and noble looking animals in the world, or so I believe.  I also felt that since Voldemort is gone, Severus is trying to rebuild his life, and as he is married(!) to Hermione, he would want animals that do not remind him of his days as a Death Eater (i.e. snakes, spiders, fowl creepy crawlies).  To this effect, I think that he would not begrudge Hermione her cats, nor anything else, as she is his first true friend and the one person he wishes to please above everyone else, even Dumbledore.  

For Aland, I chose the Raven (_Corvus__ Corax) as they are sweepingly dark, handsome, and glossy; which I feel fits Severus precisely.  Ravens are extremely intelligent, and were often romanticized and criticized in folklore.  Legends even say that the Raven used to be pure white with the most beautiful singing voice of any bird, until he stole fire from the gods and brought it down to men on Earth.  As he descended through the clouds, the fire burned and blackened his beak, and the soot coloured his feathers black.  The smoke entered his throat and roughened his voice until it was nothing more than a croak.  When he landed and gave the fire to the world, none recognized him, none knew him, because he was ugly when once he had been beautiful.  In punishment the gods turned the Raven black forever, and he was to keep his ruined voice and pass it down to all generations which would come after him.  This is from the ancient Greeks, but there is another tale from Indian folklore that tells the story a different way.  In fact, the Raven has always been a known figure in folklore and legend, as well as having many superstitions concerning them.  I felt that this too, would fit Severus.  _

The animal's names and what they mean: Amaris- child of the moon; Rudyard- from the red gate; Roland- powerful, mighty; Aland- bright as the sun

The people's names and what they mean: Griselda-Stone Heroine; Angeni- spirit angel


	4. The Beginning of It All

A/N OMG, I haven't written anything new on this for over a year now. That's ridiculous! Sorry guys, I will try to keep up from now on! (although I've been having financial troubles and likely will not have Internet for a bit, so posting will be sporadic for a month or so, sorry!)

Disclaimer I (of course) don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters within this fic. This is simply my interpretation of these characters and what I wish them to do. Enjoy the story, and review if you like. Constructive criticism is invited and, as always, Flames will be ignored.

I Can't Believe It  
Chapter 4  
By Tigress Burning

The morning after they arrived at Foltenburg Severus awoke with a start. Staring drowsily overhead at the unfamiliar ceiling, a strange feeling suddenly clenched his chest tight.

"What is that?" he wondered. The answer was given almost immediately as he was pulled towards the waking world by the feel of a slim, lithe body snuggled up beside him. "Oh." he realized. Needing to keep up pretenses, Hermione and he were now living in the same bedroom in Sixth House, their year posting.

Foltenburg was nice, if a bit strange. There were no houses like at Hogwarts, instead the students here were all divided into year groups. Every year, their particular year group moved into a new House along a pretty lane, which the dormitories were arranged on. The layout of the school was in itself very aesthetic. All the houses lay on a cobbled lane with the younger students closest to the several Halls. Dogwoods, oaks, and maples scattered all around the front lawns and down the lane with several other varieties thrown in artistically. All the school buildings were farther down the lane with the first through sixth years being taught in the Charms and Muggle Studies Hall, the seventh through tenth years in the Main Hall, and the eleventh and twelfth years were taught in the Advanced Wing where Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions were taught. The Astronomy Tower, Greenhouses, and the forest where Care of Magical Creatures was taught were separate also, and the general feel was that of a American college campus.

House was really an understatement as each home had to house two adults and eight or more students comfortably as well as feed and entertain each household. All of the teachers were married which was the complete opposite of Hogwarts. The spouses were also employed by the school, mostly for chaperone purposes. They also acted as house mothers or fathers for the children, from cooking and chore setting, to keeping control of the living areas while their spouses graded papers, created tests, and did other duties.

Two weeks later

/It really was nice/ thought Severus. He had spent the day teaching D.A.D.A. to the seventh, eighth, and ninth year students. It was nothing like Hogwarts, there were no hexings that he had to worry about, no snide comments between Houses, nothing going on behind his back but nice, quiet studying and learning. Now he was in their bedroom laying on their bed while Aland and Rudyard perched on their trays and Amaris and Roldan lounged on the bed, purring contently. Hermione was in the bathroom, having taken a shower and dried her hair. Surprisingly, Severus found himself enjoying this quiet, homey life. "If only Hogwarts was this nice." he murmured to himself.

"What did you say, darling?" Hermione called out from the bathroom. "Only that I wish every day at Hogwarts could end like this, with no tension headache. We have been here at Foltenburg over two weeks now, and I've not had to take one of my headache infusions in that time. It's so quiet, the students are good during class, I've not had to reprimand a one of them severely. I believe this is the least amount of discipline I've handed out in fifteen years combined."

"It is rather nice." Hermione agreed as she danced out into their bedroom.

For some reason he couldn't fathom, Severus's heart leapt at the sight of her. While in the classroom she dressed professionally, as did he. It was rather useful to have a Mistress of Potions with a secondary degree in Transfiguration for a wife he mused. No need to purchase new clothing, his beautiful young wife just transfigured him clothing, all wonderfully soft, and all keeping to his high taste and expectations. No need for sweeping black robes here, no need to strike fear in the hearts of these young, well-behaved Americans. And even if she did prefer pretty wool skirts, soft blouses, and softer blazers in the classroom, as soon as classes were over for the day it was to the House to change. At home...(and wasn't it funny how he called this American school home after just two weeks, while he still felt like a visitor as Hogwarts, where he had spent his last twenty years) at home Hermione preferred to wear loose gypsy skirts in a rainbow of jewel tones with matching shirts, or simply a prettily embroidered vest. With her hair loose to her hips and her skin tanned by last summer's vacation to the Caribbean, she danced around their House barefoot except on the coldest days, helping with homework, playing board games with the children of their House, making special treats for whomever was on kitchen duty after the evening's dinner dishes had been washed and put away. Each day she completed her marking early to ensure Severus had quiet time in the evening to do his own school work while she was with the children. Yes, they had definitely settled in here nicely, he thought.

Severus was amazed at this transformation in Hermione. At Hogwarts she was always quiet unless speaking with him in either his or her rooms, she dressed only in voluminous black robes, much as he did. Although she was the head of Gryffindor House, the antics of her house seemed to drag her down spiritually every day till by the end of each term she was invariably as snappish and foul-tempered as Severus himself, deducting house points for even the slightest transgression. Many of the students bemoaned the retirement of McGonagall and the appointment of Professor Granger as Head of House. Luckily receiving her Doctorate of Potions had taken sufficient time that when she returned to Hogwarts, only the first and second years from her own seventh year remembered her as the Head Girl. Now in their sixth and seventh years, respectively, they had passed their O.W.L.s, and only a few had continued on in their advanced potions studies.

Looking to Hermione, Severus saw she had sat down on their bed, and was currently engrossed in painting her toenails, her fingers already done. The fabric of her skirt (peacock blue today) draped down over her knee, occasionally getting in her way. Watching her, Severus felt the sudden need to do something for her.

"Hermione?" he said

"Mmm?"

"Well I was thinking. It's not fair for me to have all evenings to myself. Tomorrow don't worry about getting your marking done early, or do. I will get all mine done early and spend the evening with the children, and you can have the evening to yourself." Hermione glanced upwards, startled.

"Really?", she asked, "I assumed you would prefer it this way since you and children in general don't seem to get on." Severus thought for a moment, then smiled at her.

"You know? I think it's just the children at Hogwarts I don't get on with. They always have had these expectations, handed down by their older siblings; Big Bad Snape, and his Nasty Humour. Snape, the greasy git, he'll get you and take away points for breathing, don't ever get caught by him, ever. All of the inter-house rivalry, the animosity is what is killing me." He blinked, realizing something.

"Killing me...do you know that is the first time I've realized. That is what it is doing to me, isn't it? Making me nasty, bad-tempered, entirely pessimistic. Uncaring of my colleagues, even. I've often wondered how I became that man. I used to have fun. I'll grant you not while at Hogwarts. But in the summer, when it was just me, with Dad and Mum at our little cottage up on the coast. I was happy then. I had friends who didn't understand why I had to go to private school. Muggle friends, they were. That would kill Potter, knowing I have Muggle friends whom I still correspond with." He stopped and glanced at Hermione who had put down the bottle of polish and was looking at him.

"Severus" she began and then stopped.

"Yes, Hermione?"

"Umm, nothing, never mind darling, just..thank you. I'll finish my work anyway tomorrow and we'll do something with the children, all of us together what do you think?" He murmured a reply as she turned back to her toes. A large hand entered her vision and she looked at Severus as he took the small bottle in his fine-boned hand and pulled her foot in his lap.

"I'll do it for you...if you would like." he said, realizing how intimate a gesture this was. If she said no...

"Yes, thank you." she replied. How could she continue? Knowing as she did, that with his admission, a wall had broken between them and they were at last in full confidence together. How could she tell him that what she really wanted was to forget Voldemort, forget their lives at Hogwarts and continue on here, at Foltenburg. They could teach, work on their marriage, and live with one another as a husband and wife should, taking care of their charges, doing things like this, forever. It was then that Hermione realized, in that instant; that in their bedroom at an American school, their familiars and pets all around, she had fallen in love with the dreaded Potions/D.A.D.A. Master of Hogwarts, while he painted her toes.


	5. Picnic

Disclaimer I own nothing from the books...but everything else is mine! So that means umm, yeah J.K. only has Hermione and Severus and the nice distant thought of Hogwarts and other suitable plot devices and peoples. Hehe.

A/N Ahh the plot finally appears!! Sort of...for two or three sentences, umm yeah. (Runs and hides from reviewers)

I Can't Believe It Chapter 5  
By Tigress Burning

Severus's hand shook as he took the small, pink coloured bottle from Hermione and lifted her foot to his lap. "I'll do it for you...if you would like." he said, realizing how intimate a gesture this was. If she said no...the pain he would feel...but then the pain suddenly lifted as she smiled and agreed softly. "Yes, thank you." Unaware of her own thoughts, he turned his attentions to her feet. For some reason his heart was beating a staccato beat, like a bird cornered by a cat, struggling desperately to survive and escape.

He had never thought he was a "foot man", preferring instead bottoms and bosoms equally. But this was as intimate as he had ever been with Hermione and he thought that if he died tomorrow he would be happy with just the memory of her intakes of breath as he touched the arch of her foot, her slight tremble while he cupped her heel.

All the next morning he treasured the memory. Hermione was showering and with deft sleight of hand whilst shaving he pocketed her wedding rings and hid them...not enough she would actually be frantic, but enough to where she would have to look for them. As he heard the children thundering down the stairs he snuck out of the bathroom. Sixth House had ten children living in five separate bedrooms on the second floor. Tony and Edward roomed together as did Albert and Michael, Robert and Justin, Holly and Marisa, and Kellie and Diana.

"Severus, darling, will you walk ahead with the children so I can finish dressing?" Hermione called just as he knew she would.

"Certainly Hermione, see you for lunch dear?" he asked, almost unable to keep his smirk to himself.

"Yes." she called as he retreated down the hallway from their suite to the kitchen, gathering the children and leaving for the day. Walking to the school grounds he stopped just outside of their building and turned to his House.

"Before you go inside children I had something I wanted to ask you. I was planning on getting together a evening supper picnic for our House. But I need your help. I don't know what is authentic American picnic food." The kids immediately glanced at each other.

"Fried chicken."

"Sandwiches."

"Macaroni Salad."

"Baked beans and chips."

"Dessert!!"

The suggestions flew quickly and furiously but all seemed to agree that the dessert was most important, at least to them.

Severus pointed to Tony, Edward, Holly and Kellie. "I will get the chicken from the main cooks. Can you four make the other dishes as you suggested them? Then the other six can gather pillows, blankets, and sleeping bags and place them on the front lawn. Wait till Mrs. Snape is upstairs after school though okay? I'm going to make certain she has a tiny bit of marking to do to ensure she will be occupied while we ready everything."

The children ran off to class, already excited and beginning to plan. Severus turned to walk to his classroom in the Advanced Wing and ran into Megan Daniels, the Headmistress of Foltenburg and the Transfiguration teacher. She was a small woman, only five feet and two inches tall. She was a tiny bit plump, with glasses and long, thick brown hair usually kept in a ponytail. Only when you saw her eyes did she stand out in any way. A vibrant blue, they shone from behind her glasses, taking in everything about her beloved school. Viewing this woman, you almost could not believe she was fully as powerful as Albus. But just as the Head of Hogwarts was, so was Megan. Every child who knew her, every person who met her, loved her immediately.

"Already plotting, Severus?" she asked, smiling upwards to him. Turning, she began walking with him towards the building across the Quad, taking two steps to every one of his own.

"Only about supper tonight. The children and I are planning a picnic to surprise Hermione. As I'm not sure what is proper for American picnics, I needed their help." he replied.

"Of course. A picnic, you say? He nodded a affirmative.

"We should have a movie for everyone this evening. All the Houses can come to the Quad after their dinners, or picnics. That penguin movie, Happy Feet? Yes, that will do nicely." she said with a slight nod in his direction. "We can project it onto the front of one of the buildings, just like a drive-in when I was a child. We'll have to close the shutters so the picture is unbroken, or I can just transfigure it so there are no windows." As they approached the Advanced Wing and saw the students standing outside, Megan drew her wand. Muttering "Obvolvo Foris" she swish-flicked at the building in front of them and the entire facade smoothed over. A "Finite Incantatem" later and the building was restored. "Yes, that will do nicely. Thank you Severus, I will make the announcement at lunch." The plump Headmistress turned to her own students and began to shoo them into class before suddenly turning.

"Oh, and Severus?" she called. He turned her way. "I really am quite pleased with how you and Hermione are fitting in here. I don't believe I will give you back to Albus next year if this continues!"

For the rest of the morning and into the early afternoon as he planned for their outing with the children, he remembered last night. The classes he taught were surprised of course, but nothing near the apoplectic shock his Hogwarts students would have shown. The older students simply assumed that Mr. and Mrs. Snape had "enjoyed" each others company the night before. Severus was amused. How crude children thought; even children only 7 years younger than his wife (that word was finally spoken not with shock, but with possession) It was a well kept secret that Severus used Legilimency on his students. It was one of the reasons there had never been any truly serious accidents in his labs and how he always managed to catch Hermione about to help Neville. However sneaky it was, it was a skill he was not going to stop using just because he no longer happened to be a Death Eater. And wasn't it useful now that he and Hermione were here in America; working to find and destroy the last outposts of Death Eaters which Voldemort had tried to plant ten years earlier in the nineties.

They hadn't had but two leads yet, both were near the New England coast in small towns. Over the weekends they had apparated over in disguise, but both leads completely panned out. The cabin, and house where each led were obviously abandoned and hadn't been visited for several years. They were quickly running out of leads but Severus thought the next one they were going to investigate would be a bit firmer. It would be sending them to California in time for the Thanksgiving hols. He wasn't sure why this holiday was quite so important but as it would give them four days instead of two he could really find no fault with it. At least it would be in a few more weeks. That would give him extra time to convince Hermione he could be the man for her. Afterall, he loved her.

A/N2 Hello faithful reviewers!! Well, I have decided. I am going to be making up spells for this fic. "Obvolvo Foris", which Megan uses to transfigure the windows of the Main Hall is actually Latin. They mean to cover opening. Also, Voldemort is officially gone but as we know, any group like that often has nasty little cells all scattered around even after it is destroyed, hence Hermione and Severus's "mission". Not too sure of if I will have any actual fighting, it's kind of up in the air as I do all my chapter writing at work in between my calls. (I'm a telemarketer for a satellite cable company in the US. ) Last but not least, there is a ermine familiar for whomever can find out what food is "proper" for a British picnic. They are kind of like a ferret but much softer and less smelly. You can find a pic by Googling "Ermine". For some reason it won't let me put the URL in the chapter. Please include a URL of where you found the information so I can put the info on my favorites. I'm sure I will be using it next chapter!!


	6. The Headmistress

Chapter 6 

Headmistress Megan Daniels sat in her office in quiet contemplation. Movie night had been a resounding success earlier in the evening and the children and teachers alike had been thrilled by the movie. Megan knew that most American witches and wizards were used to being around Muggle technology. Even Hermione Granger, her new Potions Mistress, had grown up with Muggle inventions. But Severus Snape had not, and Megan knew he had been impressed with the technology the school possessed. He had remarked, several times in fact, that he was duly impressed with the potions lab that his wife used while teaching.

/As he should be./ Megan thought. /I only had to beg and prostrate myself for four years to get those upgrades that we required so desperately./ Still, the committee had only agreed to allow her to upgrade all the labs and classrooms because she had let it "slip" that the Professors Snape would be coming to Foltenburg in the fall. She had been in contact with Dumbledore since the beginning of the year, almost nine months before he had ever mentioned to Severus and Hermione his plan. That had given her plenty of time to manipulate the board around to thinking perhaps it was time to spend the funds to impress their new illustrious teachers.

Megan also knew that their marriage was a ruse, designed to throw off the Death Eater cells scattered in the Americas. To everyone outside it would appear that Hermione had graduated and returned to teach, befriending and falling love with her ex-teacher. They had been married quickly and quietly, and decided together to make a change of pace.

She sighed as she slumped back into her chair. At thirty-five, comparatively young to most, she was at the top of her profession. The Headmistress of THE premier wizarding school in North America. Transfiguration wunderkind of her half of the world (only McGonagall was rated higher, and that was due to simple experience and age).

She was on top, the best...and yet...still, she had no one to go home to at night. Just her familiar, and Elisa came with her everywhere anyway. Speaking of whom, Elly should be coming back from hunting any time now. She reached inside her mind and found the magical link that was her connection to Elly and followed it. Melding her mind with that of Elisa's she was surprised..at first. Elisa was on her way back, but not under her own power. Someone was carrying her familiar. /Who?/ she sent. /Wand, forest, man/ was the reply. Megan leaned back in her chair, confused. Elisa could understand names perfectly, but she enjoyed puzzles as much as her mindmate, and the nicknames, to her, were a particularly good puzzle.

/A man, a wizard, who lives in the forest? No, no it must be someone who...who./ Megan laughed suddenly. /It's Shaun! You went out to the rock garden again didn't you?/

/Perhaps, I might have. Do you blame me? His garden is lovely to look at, as is he./ Now Megan turned slightly pale, her freckles standing out in prominence on her small nose.

/How do you, when did you?/ she sent in a panic. A feeling of puzzlement came through the link. /What do you mean? He is unmated, you are unmated. You are both powerful, you have no deformities to pass to your clutch. You should mate, and have a clutch. That way, you may happiness; and so will I./

Megan regained her color and blew out a breath. Elisa made no compunctions about the fact that she felt that Megan should get married. But for a moment she had thought her familiar knew her secret. That she did, in fact, have interest in a male. Shaun O'Malley was black Irish, with blue eyes, thick blue-black hair cut long and floppy, and a thick Irish brogue. Well over six feet tall, he towered over Megan's five feet two inches. That such a man, kind and gentle while still being very masculine could ever want her was a dream. A wonderful dream, one she had several nights in a week...but still a dream.

/We are almost home./ mentioned Elisa in her mind. /Is the nest clean and tidy? A male looks for a female who can keep a tidy nest amongst my people./

Startled, Megan looked around. Elisa's sand pit was clean and neat, the sand freshly raked, her water and shelter perfect. She was fastidious about that. Her mindmate on the other hand...Megan grimaced at the rest of her rooms. It looked like a tornado had ripped through them. Her official office was clean and neat but this was where she did all her research. Two minutes and several swish-flicks later, the rooms were immaculate when the knock came. Hurrying to her desk, she flicked a finger at the door, releasing her wards.

"Come in" she called. Opening the door, Shaun walked in and sat in her favorite chair in front of her desk.

"Found a little something I think belongs to ye, wee Meg" he stated casually.

"Oh?" she grinned, a shiver of excitement running through her at his voice. "I thought you warned her to stay away from the gardens?"

"Och, nay lass, e' en if I did, she'd find a way to get in." From inside his coat he pulled out the culprit in question. Elisa looked at them both, then curled up and launched herself at Megan. /Seven feet of emerald tree boa landing in one's lap is not pleasant./ Megan thought to herself as she caught Elly. Leaning forward, Shaun addressed them both.

"I know ye like the garden. It was my hope students and familiars could spend time there together. However we do live in the forest. There are predators. Your' re lucky it was Thad saw ye first and not another." Megan blanched. "Thad warned you about her?" She sent an angry burst through their link. Elly had promised, swore she would stay out of sight.

"Aye, she was sunning herself on a rock in the middle of the garden right were anyone could snatch her up." he continued seriously.

/Do not fear mindmate./ Elly sent, trying to calm Megan down. /He only saw me because I wished him to. You've not made any progress in finding yourself a mate, so I decided to do take the initiative./ she sent smugly.

/We'll discuss this later./ Megan replied. Standing, she walked to Elly's corner and placed her in the branches of her favorite tree. Turning back to Shaun, she saw him standing up, apparently to leave. "Oh, Shaun, you don't..you don't have to go. Tea, perhaps? I mean to say, will you join me for tea?"

He glanced to her and smiled. "I wasnae getting up to leave. Just to open the window, Thad's itching to come in." She smiled in reply. "Of course." Shaun crossed to the wide bay window and opened it, swinging the two halves open. A piercing scream rang out as Thad saw the window and dove inside, landing by Shaun's feet. A little over a foot and a half tall, the red-tailed hawk craned his head up and waddled forward, cheeping so like a fledgling, Megan almost burst out laughing. Stooping down, Shaun picked up the raptor and placed him on his shoulder.

Picking up her wand Megan called for tea and refreshments along with a bowl of scraps for Thad. Sending an inquiry to Elisa, she received a brusque reply in the negative. The serpent was not pleased with her mindmate.

After the tea arrived, and they had moved to Megan's sitting area, the talk turned to that of the school. There were several ideas Shaun wanted and needed to run past Megan and they passed a pleasant half-hour discussing the problems that had arisen.

Several months before Shaun had approached Megan and the board as an outside contractor about an idea for a garden. A cross between a Japanese rock garden and a park, it was to be set in the Commons, eventually encompassing the entire area. Featuring a sand garden with large smooth boulders and pristine white sand to rake, it would be surrounded by water features, cherry trees, koi ponds, and smooth paths through the manicured lawn.

From the beginning of the project, Shaun had assured the board, and Megan herself that it would remain usable and safe for all to use. He allowed himself to be hired at a fraction of his normal fees and the board had been ecstatic about the idea. Shaun O'Malley was one of the top herbalists and garden wizards in the world, and was normally contracted by the rich and prosperous of both the Muggle and wizarding world to design elaborate gardens. Megan had immediately contracted a huge crush on the man. But she was shy, and she was sure he had no interest in her whatsoever.

Several months later and it was almost complete. Only a few problems had come up. One of the 12th year students, for example. She had gone to Seattle with her parents for summer vacation, and returned to school in the fall with her first familiar. Syll was an osprey, a fish eater; and he loved to eat the koi in Shaun's carefully calibrated pools and lakes scattered throughout the gardens.

Various other problems had arisen, the winter was too harsh for some of the trees until Shaun carefully modified them with magic, the many cats about the grounds considered the sand garden their own personal litter box. Last, but certainly not least, Elisa loved the boulders and sand and would continually sneak away to find spots to sun and bury herself in. Never mind that she would make a wonderful snack for a passing eagle, or that she terrified new students occasionally when they didn't see her.

Having something to do captured Megan's attention and they quickly dealt with all the issues, passing the evening in comfortable chatter with their familiars chiming in occasionally, Elisa eventually giving up on her anger, and coming over to curl up around Megan's neck and shoulders.


End file.
